Pratica di Shadowing: How to Use Past Simple & Past Continuous in Real English Conversations - Impara a parlare inglese con i video
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Michael, I really need to ask you about past simple and past continuous.
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Oh?
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Tell me.
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What is confusing you exactly?
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Honestly, I don't understand when to use them in a story.
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Ah, I see.
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You are confused about past simple versus past continuous, right?
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Exactly.
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Yesterday, I tried to tell a funny story at work, and it was a disaster.
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What happened?
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I said, when my boss called me, I slept.
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Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.
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Yes, I see the problem.
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But don't worry, that is a very common mistake.
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Listen carefully, stop guessing, and please stop memorizing long grammar charts.
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Today, you will finally understand the difference between past simple and past continuous with simple logic.
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But before we start, A quick request for our amazing viewers.
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Please support us.
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Like this video and subscribe to the channel.
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Done.
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That sounds fair.
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Now please teach me.
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All right, Olivia.
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Let's look at your funny mistake from today.
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Oh, my disastrous story?
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Please be gentle.
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You told your colleagues, when my boss called me, I slept.
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Yeah, and they laughed.
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Was it really that bad?
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Well, it sounded very strange to their ears. But why?
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Both actions happened in the past.
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True, but in English, we have to show the shape of the action.
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The shape of the action?
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What does that mean?
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Imagine a camera.
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One tense is like a long video.
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Okay, a long, continuous video.
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And the other tense is just a quick photograph.
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Click.
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A quick photograph?
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Wow, I love this camera idea.
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So, when you said, I slept, you used a quick photograph.
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Oh, like sleeping takes only one second?
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Exactly.
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It sounded like you instantly fell asleep the exact moment he called.
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Like his voice was a magic sleeping spell.
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Precisely.
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Like, hello, Olivia, and boom, you're asleep on the floor.
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Oh my goodness, that is hilarious.
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Now I understand why they laughed.
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Because you used the wrong camera mode for sleeping.
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Sleeping is definitely a long video, not a quick photo.
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Spot on.
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Sleeping takes time.
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It is a long background action.
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So I needed the video tense.
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Exactly.
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And today we will master both camera modes.
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I am so ready.
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Give me the video camera first.
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Let's start with the video camera, the past continuous tense.
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Okay, the video camera.
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How do I use it?
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We use this tense for a long, continuous action in the past.
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Like something taking a lot of time?
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Yes, it is the background of your story.
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It sets the scene.
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Setting the scene, like the beginning of a movie?
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Exactly.
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Imagine a movie starting.
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What is happening on the screen?
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Hmm.
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The sun is shining.
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People are walking.
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Perfect.
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But let's put it in the past.
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The sun was shining.
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Oh, people were walking.
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You got it.
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You use was or were plus the ing form of the verb. Was shining. Were walking.
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Because it is a flowing video.
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Exactly.
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The action is flowing.
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It is in progress.
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So, back to my terrible story about my boss.
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Yes.
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What were you doing before the phone rang?
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I was in my bed.
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The action was flowing for hours.
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Right.
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So what is the correct video tense?
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I was sleeping.
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Brilliant.
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You were sleeping.
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A nice, long video action.
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Wow.
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That makes so much sense visually.
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Let's try another one.
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You in the kitchen, making food for an hour.
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I was cooking dinner.
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Perfect.
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You created a beautiful video background for me.
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I love this.
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I was cooking.
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I was sleeping. So easy.
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Now let's grab the other camera, the quick photograph.
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Ooh, the click camera.
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The past simple tense.
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Exactly.
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We use past simple for short, quick, finished actions.
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So, not a flowing video, just a sudden event?
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Spot on.
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It usually interrupts the long video.
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Ah, like a sudden surprise in the middle of the movie.
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Yes, the action happens fast and finishes fast.
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Give me a good example of a quick photo action.
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Remember your boss?
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His phone call.
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Oh, the phone ringing is fast.
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It is an interruption.
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Exactly.
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So we use the short tense.
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The phone rang.
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The phone rang.
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Click.
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Sudden action.
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Let's go back to your kitchen example.
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You were cooking dinner.
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And suddenly, my sister dropped a glass.
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Perfect.
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Did she drop the glass for a long time?
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Ha ha, no. It happened in one second.
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Crash!
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So you used the photo tense.
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She dropped a glass.
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Wow, I was cooking.
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Video.
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She dropped it.
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Photo.
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You are mastering the visual logic beautifully, Olivia.
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It feels so much better than memorizing grammar charts.
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Because your brain loves pictures, not boring timelines.
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Totally.
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So past simple is the interrupter, the quick flash.
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Exactly.
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The quick flash that changes the story.
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This is amazing!
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Let's put them together now.
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Alright, let's combine the video and the photo into one perfect sentence.
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The ultimate storytelling sentence.
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I am ready.
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To connect them, we usually use two magic words, when or while.
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When and while.
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Do they mean the same thing?
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They are similar, but they attach to different cameras.
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Ooh, interesting.
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Tell me the secret.
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While loves the long video.
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It means during that time.
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So I put while next to the ing form.
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Exactly.
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While I was sleeping...
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The phone rang.
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Perfect!
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You created a flawless English sentence.
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Wow!
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While I was cooking, my sister dropped a glass.
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You are doing great!
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Now, what about when?
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Let me guess.
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When loves the quick photo.
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Brilliant deduction.
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When attaches to the short interruption.
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So, I put it next to the past simple tense.
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Try it.
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Swap the magic word in your sleeping story.
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I was sleeping when the phone rang.
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Masterpiece.
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The meaning is exactly the same as the first one.
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Really?
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While I was sleeping, it rang is the same as I was sleeping when it rang?
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Absolutely.
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It just depends on where you want to place the magic word.
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That is so cool.
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It gives me freedom when I speak.
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Exactly.
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Freedom without confusion.
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I am definitely going to use both magic words tomorrow.
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Let's make sure you can use the negative form smoothly, too.
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Good idea.
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Sometimes saying no in the past is tricky.
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Let's start with the video camera, the past continuous.
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Okay.
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How do I make the long action negative?
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You just add not after was or were, wasn't or weren't.
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Oh, that is easy.
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I wasn't sleeping.
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Exactly.
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Meaning that video was not playing in the background.
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Got it.
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For example, I wasn't listening when the teacher spoke.
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Very honest example and perfect grammar.
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Thank you.
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Now, what about the quick photo camera?
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For the short past simple, we use didn't plus the base verb.
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Ah, I remember this.
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Didn't call, didn't go.
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Yes.
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So let's combine a negative photo with a positive video.
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Okay, let me think of a good situation.
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Take your time.
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Paint the picture for me.
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I was walking in the park, but I didn't see my friend.
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Spot on.
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The walking was the long background video.
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And the not seeing was the quick photo result.
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You nailed it.
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Let's try one more combination.
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While I was watching TV, the pizza guy didn't ring the bell.
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He just knocked.
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That is a fantastic sentence, Olivia.
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Very natural storytelling.
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Yay!
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I wasn't watching, didn't ring.
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It is totally logical.
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You are using the negative forms like a pro.
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This visual logic makes me feel unstoppable.
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Now, I need to teach you an important exception about telling stories.
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An exception?
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Uh-oh.
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Does the camera break?
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No, the camera is fine.
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But sometimes there is no video at all.
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What?
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No background video?
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Just photos?
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Exactly.
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Sometimes you just tell a list of quick actions, one after another.
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Like a sequence of events?
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Action 1, action 2, action 3?
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Precisely.
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When actions happen in a sequence, we only use the short photo tense.
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Just past simple.
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Click, click, click.
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Yes!
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For example, I woke up, I took a shower, and I left the house.
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Ah, none of them are background actions.
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They are a chain.
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Exactly.
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You cannot say, I was waking up and then I was taking a shower.
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That sounds terrible.
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It feels too slow and weird.
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Exactly, because they are finished consecutive steps.
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So, if one thing finishes before the next thing starts, just use past simple.
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Beautifully summarized, Olivia.
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Let me try a sequence.
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I opened the door, turned on the light, and saw a spider.
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Perfect!
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Click, click, click.
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Three fast photos.
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Wow!
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And what if I want to add a background to that spider story?
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Oh, challenge yourself.
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Give me the full movie scene.
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While the spider was crawling on the wall, I screamed and ran away away.
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That is a master class in English storytelling right there.
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I am so proud of that sentence.
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The video and two photos.
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You should be proud.
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It was completely flawless.
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This is officially my favorite grammar lesson ever.
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Now, Olivia, pay close attention.
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We are entering the trap zone.
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The trap zone?
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Okay, I am on high alert.
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What is the trap?
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There are some special verbs in English that hate the video camera.
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Hate the video camera?
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You mean I cannot use them with ing?
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Exactly.
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We call them state verbs.
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They describe feelings, thoughts, or senses.
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Feelings and thoughts?
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Like the word know?
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Yes.
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You can never say, I was knowing the answer.
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Oh, I actually hear students say that a lot.
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I was knowing it.
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It is a huge trap.
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Knowing is not a physical action.
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It is a state of mind.
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So, even if I knew it for a long time, I just used the phototense.
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Precisely.
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Always say, I knew the answer.
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Wow, good to know.
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What are some other trap words?
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Words like want, need, love, understand.
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So, I cannot say I was wanting a coffee.
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Never.
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Even if you felt that desire for three hours, you just say, I wanted a coffee.
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That's actually easier.
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I don't have to worry about the ing.
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Exactly.
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State verbs are strictly past simple only.
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So, if I didn't get the joke, I say, I didn't understand, not, I wasn't understanding.
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Spot on.
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Trap successfully avoided.
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Awesome.
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Love, need, know, want, understand.
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Got it.
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You will sound so much more advanced just by avoiding this one mistake.
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I am feeling so confident.
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Give me the next challenge.
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Let's put everything side by side to test your logic.
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Bring it on.
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I have my video camera and my photo camera ready.
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I will give you two similar situations.
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You tell me the difference in meaning.
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Okay, deal.
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Shoot.
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Sentence A.
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When John arrived, we had dinner.
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Sentence B, when John arrived, we were having dinner.
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Oh, wow.
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They look so similar, but they feel very different.
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Tell me exactly how they feel different.
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Use the logic.
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Okay.
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When John arrived, we had dinner.
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This is a sequence of photos.
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Yes.
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Click, click.
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So what happened first?
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John arrived first.
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Then, after he walked in, we all started eating together.
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Absolutely brilliant!
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Now, what about sentence B?
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We were having dinner.
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Were having is the long video, the background action.
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Exactly.
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So what is the situation when John opens the door?
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We are already eating.
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Our mouths are full of food when he arrives.
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Perfect!
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He interrupted your meal.
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Wow, the grammar completely changes the story.
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It changes the entire movie scene in the listener's head.
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In the first one, we waited for John.
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In the second one, we didn't wait.
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Exactly!
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Poor John in the second sentence.
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This is mind-blowing.
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The tenses paint the picture.
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Because you were using pure visual logic now, not just guessing words.
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I love this.
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No more confusing my coworkers with bad stories.
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Let's see how this works in a real, natural conversation.
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No grammar explanations?
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Just a normal chat about my day?
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Exactly.
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Just a regular chat.
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Let's start.
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Okay.
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I am ready.
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Let's do it.
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Hey, Olivia.
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I tried to call you yesterday evening, but you didn't answer.
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Oh, I am so sorry, Michael.
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I didn't hear my phone.
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Really?
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What were you doing around 7 p.m.?
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At 7 p.m., I was watching a very loud action movie.
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Ah, that makes sense.
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Was it a good movie?
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It was amazing, but while I was watching the best part, the electricity went out.
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Oh, no. What did you do then?
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I just lit some candles, grabbed a book, and read for an hour.
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That sounds quite relaxing, actually.
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It was.
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But while I was reading, I heard a strange noise outside.
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Strange noise?
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Did you go outside to check?
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No way!
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I was too scared.
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I just locked the door and stayed inside.
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Very smart.
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Well, I'm glad you're safe.
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Thanks.
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Anyway, sorry I missed your call.
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I will call you back next time. And cut!
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That was fantastic, Olivia!
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Wow!
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Did you notice?
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I used all the rules perfectly without thinking.
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I definitely noticed.
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It flowed beautifully.
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I used the video was watching, the photo went out, and the sequence lit grabbed red.
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You are officially a master storyteller in English.
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Thank you!
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That felt so incredibly natural.
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All right, before we wrap up the video, let's do a very quick mental summary.
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Good idea.
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Let's lock these cameras in my brain forever.
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Remember the core logic for the past continuous tense.
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Let me say it.
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It is the video camera, a long, flowing background action.
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Exactly.
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You use it to set the scene.
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I was sleeping.
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Yes, and the magic word while loves this tense.
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Perfect.
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Now, what is the core logic for the past simple tense?
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It is the photo camera.
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A short, quick, finished action.
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Click.
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Spot on.
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It usually interrupts the video.
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The phone rang.
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Yes, and the magic word when usually attaches to this short action.
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And what about a sequence of events?
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Action 1, action 2, action 3?
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We only use the photo camera.
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Click, click, click.
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Past simple only.
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That is the entire rule, Olivia.
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Just pure visual logic.
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It is incredible how simple it is when you organize it like cameras.
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So no more saying, I slept when he called at the office?
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Definitely not.
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My coworkers are going to be so impressed with my stories tomorrow.
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I have no doubt about that.
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You will sound just like a native speaker.
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No more confusing timelines.
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I just picture the movie scene in my head.
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I am very proud of your progress today, Olivia.
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Thank you, Michael.
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You make learning grammar actually fun.
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That is the secret to learning, keeping it visual and fun.
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Absolutely.
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I am ready to tell a million stories now.
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All right.
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That brings us to the end of today's Storytelling Masterclass.
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Wow.
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Time flew by so fast.
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I learned so much today, Michael.
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I am very happy to hear that, Olivia.
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But now it is homework time!
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Ooh, a challenge for our amazing viewers!
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I love it!
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What is the mission?
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We want to see if you guys can use the video camera and the photo camera together.
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Yes, prove to us that you stopped memorizing grammar charts and started thinking visually.
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So we want you to go down to the comment section right now.
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Okay, and what exactly should they write?
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A full Hollywood movie script?
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Haha, no. Just one sentence is enough.
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Tell us a mini-story about your day.
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Oh, I get it.
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Use a long background action and interrupt it with a quick, sudden action.
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Exactly.
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Give us one past continuous video interrupted by a past simple photo.
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Like, while I was eating my lunch, my cat jumped on the table.
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Perfect example.
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And please do not be shy.
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We want to read all of your stories.
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That is right.
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I am personally going to read every single comment.
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And I'll be there to give you feedback and correct any little mistakes.
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But remember guys, do not be afraid to make mistakes.
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That is how we learn.
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Absolutely.
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So grab your keyboards and drop your mini-stories in the comments below.
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We're waiting.
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And hey, if you found this camera trick helpful today… Please hit that like button.
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It really helps our channel grow and reach more English learners.
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And don't forget to subscribe and turn on the notification bell.
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Definitely.
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You do not want to miss our upcoming visual grammar lessons.
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We have so many more fun tricks to share with you all.
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Thank you so much for watching, everyone.
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Keep practicing your storytelling.
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See you in the next video.
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Bye-bye.
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Vocabolario e note di pronuncia per questa lezione
Questa lezione di conversazione di livello B1 si basa sul video “How to Use Past Simple & Past Continuous in Real English Conversations”. Le parole che ritornano più spesso: action, camera, exactly, photo, quick. Questo video contiene 483 frasi e 2786 parole da ripetere con lo shadowing. Il parlato dura 19:53. Chi parla mantiene un ritmo costante di circa 140 parole al minuto, comodo per lo shadowing. Il 83% delle parole rientra nelle 3.000 più comuni dell’inglese; conviene studiare le altre prima di iniziare.
Vocaboli chiave di questo video
Le 15 parole più avanzate del video, con pronuncia e significato:
| Parola | Pronuncia | Significato |
|---|---|---|
| tense sostantivo | /tɛns/ | tempo |
| grammar sostantivo | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | grammatica |
| continuous aggettivo | /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/ | continuo |
| trap sostantivo | /tɹæp/ | trappola, tranello |
| interrupt verbo | /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/ | interrompere, tagliare |
| storytelling sostantivo | narrazione | |
| verb sostantivo | /vɝb/ | verbo |
| photograph sostantivo | /ˈfoʊ.təˌɡɹæf/ | fotografia, foto |
| memorize verbo | /ˈmɛm.əˌɹaɪ̯z/ | memorizzare, imparare a memoria |
| confuse verbo | /kənˈfjuːz/ | confondere |
| attach verbo | /əˈtæt͡ʃ/ | legare, appiccare |
| shine verbo | /ʃaɪn/ | brillare, splendere |
| precisely avverbio | /pɹɪˈsaɪs.li/ | precisamente, esattamente |
| spider sostantivo | /ˈspaɪ̯dɚ/ | ragno |
| interruption sostantivo | /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpʃən/ | interruzione |
I phrasal verb che sentirai
| Parola | Pronuncia | Significato |
|---|---|---|
| go out verbo | uscire, andare fuori | |
| wake up verbo | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | svegliarsi |
| run away verbo | scappare, fuggire | |
| wrap up verbo | imballare, impacchettare |
Frasi da ripetere
Frasi brevi e complete del video che puoi riutilizzare nella conversazione di tutti i giorni:
- What is confusing you exactly?
- How do I use it?
- What were you doing before the phone rang?
- How do I make the long action negative?
- You mean I cannot use them with ing?
La grammatica di questo video
Le strutture che chi parla usa di più, con le parole esatte del video:
| Struttura | Nel video |
|---|---|
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — un’azione in corso in un momento del passato | was shining · were walking · were you doing |
| Verbo + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — i verbi seguiti dalla forma in -ing | stop guessing · started eating · stopped memorizing |
| Consigli con “should” should + verbo — dire che cosa è meglio fare | should be · should they write |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — qualcosa che succede adesso o in questo periodo | is happening · is shining · are walking |
Pronuncia a cui fare attenzione
Chi parla usa 26 contrazioni e forme ridotte, come didn't, wasn't, don't. Pronunciale nella forma breve, così come le senti.
- I suoni “sh” e “zh”: shine /ʃaɪn/, interruption /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpʃən/, deduction /dɪˈdʌkʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/
- Parole lunghe — attenzione all’accento: continuous /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/, beautifully /ˈbju.tɪ.fə.li/, interruption /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpʃən/, visually /ˈvɪzju.əli/, unstoppable /ʌnˈstɔ.pə.bəl/
I suoni difficili per chi parla italiano:
- /h/ — va soffiata, non è muta: homework /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/, hilarious /hɪˈlɛə.ɹi.əs/
- Consonante finale — senza aggiungere una vocale dopo: tense /tɛns/, continuous /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/, trap /tɹæp/, interrupt /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/, verb /vɝb/
- /æ/ — più aperta della “e”: grammar /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/, trap /tɹæp/, photograph /ˈfoʊ.təˌɡɹæf/, attach /əˈtæt͡ʃ/, disastrous /dɪˈzæs.tɹəs/
Come esercitarsi con questo video
- Ascolta tutto il video una volta senza parlare e annota le parole che non conosci.
- Fai shadowing frase per frase a velocità normale, ripetendo ognuna finché il tuo ritmo coincide con quello di chi parla.
- Registrati e confronta con l’originale, facendo attenzione a parole come tense, grammar, continuous.
Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?
Shadowing è una tecnica di apprendimento delle lingue supportata da studi scientifici, originariamente sviluppata per la formazione dei traduttori professionisti e resa popolare dal poliglotta Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Il metodo è semplice ma potente: ascolti un audio in inglese di madrelingua e lo ripeti immediatamente ad alta voce — come un'ombra che segue il parlante con un ritardo di solo 1–2 secondi. A differenza dell'ascolto passivo o degli esercizi di grammatica, lo shadowing costringe il tuo cervello e i muscoli della bocca a elaborare e riprodurre simultaneamente i modelli di discorso reale. La ricerca dimostra che migliora significativamente la precisione della pronuncia, l'intonazione, il ritmo, il discorso connesso, la comprensione dell'ascolto e la fluidità del parlato — rendendolo uno dei metodi più efficaci per la preparazione alla prova di speaking dell'IELTS e per la comunicazione reale in inglese.